The Last Chapter
by stagetrinity
Summary: It's Helga's last night in Hillwood before heading off to college. She's tied up all her loose ends-all but one football headed boy. one-shot


This was a blurb I wrote back in 2013 for a fic challenge, but I never shared it. Thought I'd just post here it here for fun. Enjoy!

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Its hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but its harder to give up when you know its everything you want." – Unknown

The books were packed away, the shrine long gone – yet the locket remained in a drawer, under bundles of clothing that she hadn't been able to fit in since she was years younger and sizes smaller. This was where she had grown up, and where she had lived in the shadow of a sister with shoes much too big for her to ever fill. It was in this room she had spent many hours trying to find out what it really meant to be alive, and what It meant to love someone with a love that might never be rivaled in its intensity ever again. And it was this room she was planning on leaving in the morning.

The car was filled outside, boxes peeping out of the windows and leaking articles of clothing and memories of her life. It was hard to imagine she might never set foot in this place again, and yet this thought didn't bother her in the least. Too many years had been spent trying to break free of these walls, and all that had happened within them. Did any of it really matter, in the scheme of things? She'd never felt like she belonged her, really. She was an awkward caterpillar, and maybe getting out would allow her to become what she was meant to be. She just didn't know who or what that might be yet.

She peered out the window to find the sun was fading back behind the buildings, and the realization this would be her last night in Hillwood started to really sink in. Her last night to get things done. The last night to tie up loose ends, and to take what she could from her childhood home. She'd spent most of the summer trying to do this very thing, but she could never seem to get enough images to satiate her need for them. The digital camera was waiting on her desk, sitting on top of the bag with the things that would be riding in the front seat with her. Perhaps there were a few more memories to make before she left it all behind.

The air outside was warm, and smelled surprisingly sweet. She attributed this to the park, which was lush and full in the wake of recent summer showers that had been a God send to the scorching heat. She saw him there, walking the path, with is earbuds in and his open shirt flapping in the short breeze. There was a thoughtful expression on his face. Imagine seeing him here, of all nights.

 **Sometimes, life gives you a chance.**

She held the camera up, snapping the picture. He'd noticed her then, as the flash lit to capture him in all his glory. He smiled, pausing for a moment before heading over. She felt the familiar buzzing in her stomach as he pulled his earbuds out carelessly, shoving them in his pocket.

"I heard you're leaving in the morning." He cut right to the chase, didn't he?

"Yep. Heading out at six. I've got a good eight hour drive waiting on me," Helga said with a grin. She slipped the camera strap on her wrist, fidgeting. The sensation of knowing this might be the last time she got to see Arnold suddenly dawned on her, and it was not a good feeling at all. All those years of projects, homework, class, and the occasional after school excursion had left her always thirsting for more. She'd never told him again. How could she bring herself to say she still loved him? How could she ruin what little friendship they had forged? She could never make it work in her mind – he'd run away, surely.

As she was lost in thoughts, she didn't see his hand move. It was a swift little movement, a brief squeeze of her hand in his. The shock of the touch rippled through her as he said in a somewhat sad tone, "I'm going to miss you. I can't believe you'll just be, you know, gone."

"Yeah, they say you don't notice things till they're gone," she tried to joke, laughing awkwardly.

He laughed in return, shaking his head. "Oh come on Helga, you've always been hard to miss." He smiled, and there a brief spark in his eyes that Helga wasn't accustomed to. But did it really mean anything now? She wasn't going to jump to conclusions, not now of all times. But it was harder than she had thought, to stand here and see him and know that this was the moment. The absolute last moment she'd have in her childhood to tell him how she felt. When she left in the morning, this chapter of her life would end. Would Arnold be that long lost love that the heroine spent the rest of the book pining over? She had always imagined herself as that girl who took charge of her life, and could do whatever she wanted if she decided it was what she desired. And she certainly had with everything on that list. Except for Arnold. Arnold was the only thing left on her list that she had not made any progress on.

"It's hard to wait around for something you know might never happen; but it's harder to give up when you know it's everything you want," she muttered under her breath, fists clenched to her side. She'd memorized that quote and repeated it often. She could not recall any quote that was more accurate in this situation.

"You say something?" he asked, cocking his head to the side curiously.

"So, hey, listen here," she blurted, tossing her head and shoulders back, puffing out her chest proudly. If she was going to do this again, she would do it strong. "I'll be leaving in the morning. I've said my goodbyes to everyone, I have resolved everything about this chapter of my life," she began, making sweeping motion with her hand. "I have worked out everything to be in a good place for me. I have worked everything out…but you."

"Me? I don't-" he began to replied, his face contorted in confusion. But she wasn't going to have it. She had to do this while she was on a role.

"Yeah, I know you don't. You never get anything. You don't pick up on anything because you're so dense! And you know what, that's okay! Because it's you! And hey, it's not like you do anything wrong! Heck, you've practically ignored me through most of our childhood and I didn't care because I brought it on myself, right." It was word vomit. Oh this was going to be word vomit big time. "Because I…okay, let's be frank about this. I l…. Um, I lo…. I l _ike_ you! I'm crazy over you! Head over heels, over the moon! I write poems about you! I have filled volumes, I pine for you! I moon over you! And what do you say? What do you say?"

At least, that was what she intended to say. She planned it all out in her head, but instead all that actually came out from her mouth was, "Well I never came to tell you goodbye."

"Oh….okay. Well, goodbye?" he said quietly, holding his arms out for an embrace. She stepped into it eagerly, deciding that this didn't actually have to be the end. She could find a way to write him into the next chapter, when she was better suited to write her romance. There would be a sequel to come, just wait and see.


End file.
